Internal combustion engine



Dec. 9, 1941.

N. M. JOHNSON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 13, 1939 INVENTOR NoZZe MJo'Znscn ATTORNEY KL Dec. 9, 1941. N. M. JOHNSON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 13, 1959 km N INVENTOR 4 0516 M 7077/7601? BY ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 9, 1941 INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Noble M. Johnson, Detroit, Micln, assignor to Twin Cam Motor Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a company of Michigan Application March 13, 1939, Serial No. 261,413

2 Claims. (Cl. 123-90) This invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines, broadly speaking of the type shown and described in my United,

States Patent No.'1,735,764, wherein the cylinders are substantially radially arranged, and the piston rods coact with a cam mounted upon the drive shaft upon which valve cams are also provided for actuating the valves.

It is an object of this invention to provide such an internal combustion engine wherein the valve are reciprocated in contact with the cylinders and both extremities of the valves are in constant contact with the valve operatin cams.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an engine with a valve mechanism wherein a valve is mounted for transverse reciprocation across each cylinder to contact both the inlet and exhaust, and two cams mounted on the driving shaft are in constant contact with opposite extremities of all the valves at all times.

A further object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine wherein all the piston rods actuate a common driving cam having two substantially semi-circular extremities of unequal radii, and the adjacent ends of the curved extremities are connected along a substantially straight path. v

Having thus briefly and broadly stated some of the objects and advantages of the invention I will now proceed to describe my invention in detail with the aid of the accompanying drawings,

in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a sectional view of the invention taken on the line l-l of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section.

Figure 3 is a view, partly in section, showing the outer extremity of one cylinder and portions of the valve cams.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side view of the two valve cams.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 3, but showing the valve in mid position.

Figure '7 is an enlarged detail showing a portion of the drive shaft, and the driving cam thereon.

Figure 8 is a cross sectional view showing a portion of one cylinder and a modified valve arrangement.

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a section on the line l0lfl of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a side elevation of the outer portion of one cylinder with one valve cam removed, taken on the line H-li of Figure 8.

Figures 12, 13 and 14 are sectional views of portions of cylinders showing slightly modified valve port arrangements.

Figure 15 is an enlarged detail showing one extremity of a valve in contact with a valve cam as shown in Figure 8.

Figures 16, 17 and 18 are sectional view of portions of cylinders showing other slightly varied valve port arrangements.

Referring to Figures 1 to '7 of the drawings, I designates a plurality of substantially radially disposed cylinders the inner covers 2 of which are integral with a stationary casing 3 in which bearings 4 are provided -for a drive shaft 5. Fixed on the latter between the bearings 4 is a cam 6 having grooves 6a formed in opposite sides thereof and uniformly spaced from the cam periphery. The cam 6 is elongated and has two substantially semi-circular extremities 6b and 6c, the radius of the extremity 6b being considerably longer than the radius of the extremity 6c. Mounted in each cylinder i is a piston l having a piston rod 8 which projects through its cylinder cover 2 and terminates in a bifurcated extremity 9 in which rollers it are mounted which rotate in the opposed cam grooves'Ba, so that reciprocation of the piston 1 causes rotation of the driving cam 6 and its shaft 5.

Mounted upon the shaft 5 are two valve cams I i having opposed annular cam faces I la formed around their peripheries. Mounted for reciprocation across the outer extremity of each cylinder is. a valve I2 having at least one port i3 formed therethrough to selectively connect the valve housing ports It and IS with the cylinder ports l5 and I 1 respectively. The valve housings iii are suitably mounted upon the outer cylinder heads as by screws IS in engagement with the latter. The valves 42 are preferably provided with rollers 20 at their extremities each of which rides continuously upon one of the cam faces Ila, as the cams are turned in timed relation with the movement of the pistons 1. 2| denotes spark plugs which are shown extending through the heads of the cylinders I.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen that reciprocation of the pistons 1 causes rotation of the shaft 5 through the driving cam 6, and that the valve cams ll, both of which are in constant contact with one extremity of each valve l2, reciprocate the latter so that combustible mixture from the housing inlet ports it enters the cylinder inlet ports l6 and products of combustion from the cylinder exhaust port I! pass through the housing exhaust ports I at predetermined times.

Figures 12, 13 and 14 show slightly modified valve porting arrangements. In Figure 12 the valve lZa is again provided with a single port lia which, by movement of the said valve, is brought into registry with the housing inlet port I and the cylinder inlet port lfia, or with the housing exhaust port l5 and the cylinder exhaust port Ila. In this instance the ports 16a and Na are parallel with the ports H and I5 instead of being inclined towards one another and terminating in a common orifice in the head of the cylinder I, as shown in Figure 6.

In Figure 13 the valve I2 is provided with two parallel ports I31) and. I30, the former being adapted to register with the ports I! and "5b, and the latter with the ports l5 and Nb. In Figure 14 the cylinder head is provided with a single port 22 which is adapted to be connected with either the housing inlet port l5 or the housing exhaust port l6 by means of inclined ports 13d and Kid respectively formed through the valve ii.

In the modified arrangement shown in Figures 8 to 11 inclusive and Figure 15 a somewhat varied arrangement is shown. Formed integral with the cylinders Is and extending transversely across the outer cylinder heads are circular valve housings I86 provided at opposite extremities with apertured covers l8! which serve as guides for the valves l2e, which in this case are in the form of piston valves and are provided within the housing with at least one annular groove l3e. Around the valves l2e piston rings l2! may be provided in order to prevent leakage of gas outwardly from the annular groove, or grooves, l3e. Opening into each housing Me is an inlet and an exhaust port He and We each of which is adapted to be connected to the cylinder inlet and exhaust port I6e and I 'Ie respectively. In order to prevent the piston rings III catching in the ports Ne,

. lie, Hie, and lie small apertures are formed from In Figure 16 the housing inlet and exhaust ports lie and We are adapted to be connected to the cylinder inlet and exhaust ports Hie and He by annular inlet grooves or ports l3; and l3g respectively. In Figure 17 the cylinder inlet and exhaust ports I and Hg extend laterally in opposite directions from a common opening in the inner face of the head of the cylinder I; and in Figure 18 a single port 22c is provided through the head of the cylinder which is adapted to be connected by one of the valve ports I37 or [3k with the housing inlet or exhaust port Me or |5e respectively.

Referring again to the driving cam 6, it will be noted that a smooth working engine is obtained by arranging the firing as the rollers I!) pass around the smaller cam groove radius Ho, and exhausting as they travel around the larger radius llb. Moreover the form of the cam 6 and its grooves 6a herein shown wherein the cam paths between the adjacent ends of the radii 6b and 6c are substantially straight not only result in high operating efliciency but is also simple to manufacture.

While in the foregoing the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and shown, it is understood that further alterations and modifications may be made thereto provided the said alterations and modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

i. In an internal combustion engine including a plurality of cylinders having ports formed through their outer extremities, pistons in said cylinders, a drive shaft, and means coacting with each piston for rotating the latter, the combination of a housing secured to the outer extremity of each cylinder, a valve mounted for reciprocation in each housing parallel with the drive shaft axis, inlet and outlet ports in said housings adapted to be connected to the ports in their respective cylinders by said valves, two cams secured to the drive shaft one on each side of the cylinders, said cams having opposed and inwardly directed annular cam faces, and all of said valves being constantly held between and supported by both said cam faces whereby the valves are actuated in timed relation with the drive shaft rotation.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination set forth in claim 1, wherein a roller is mounted on each extremity of each valve for rotation upon the adjacent cam face.

NOBLE M. JOHNSON. 

